Battery Park

DUTCH-AMERICAN HERITAGE DAY¡¦S A ROYAL SUCCESS FOR PARKS

Photo by Amanda (Greenpoint) Tedeschi

DUTCH-AMERICAN HERITAGE DAY'S A ROYAL SUCCESS FOR PARKS

In the presence of Dutch royalty, Commissioner Henry J. (StarQuest)
Stern welcomed visitors yesterday to Battery Park, threshold of Manhattan
and port of immigration to generations of Europeans. With him were Her Royal
Highness Princess Margriet, sister of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands;
Her Royal Highness Princess Christina, sister of Queen Beatrix of the
Netherlands; His Highness Prince Floris, son of Her Royal Highness Princess
Margriet and Mr. Pieter van Vollenhoven; and The Honorable Pieter van
Vollenhoven, husband of Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet of the Netherlands.
Together they unveiled the newly restored monument and recognized the far-reaching
influence of the Dutch on local culture.

The Netherlands Monument was originally a gift from the Dutch to the people
of New York in 1926. A consortium of generous individuals and companies, under
the auspices of the Netherlands Memorial Foundation and the Netherlands Consulate
General, funded the renovations for its continued health and beauty. Monuments
conservation technicians Elizabeth (Statuesque) Short and Martha
Seelenberger working under the direction of head conservator Mark Rabinowitz
and with assistance from John Cole cleaned and poulticed the stone. They
repatined the bronze emblems and repaired and regilded the Dutch and English
inscriptions. Overseeing them were Karen (Patina) Lemmey and Jonathon
(Archive) Kuhn. This work marks the 33rd monument restored through the
City Parks Foundation since 1997.

Two boroughs, the Bronx and Brooklyn (Breuckelen), numerous streets, and the
New York Knickerbockers professional basketball team derive their names from
the Dutch. Old Dutch-style Houses like the Dyckman Farmhouse (c. 1785) in northern
Manhattan and the Wyckoff House (c. 1652) in Flatbush, Brooklyn survive a bygone
era. Monuments to the Dutch legacy dot the landscape, and include Gertrude Vanderbilt's
statue of Dutch director-general Peter Stuyvesant, commissioned for the 1939
New York World's Fair. Above all, New York City's preeminence in commerce is
a direct outgrowth of its origins as a Dutch mercantile trading outpost.

For many years referred to as the Netherlands Memorial, Parks rechristened
the work with a name that better reflects the spirit of continued association
between Dutch and American culture: the Netherlands Monument. With this monument,
not only does Parks memorialize a piece of history, it pays tribute to a lasting
cultural relationship.

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO IN THE PLANT
(Friday, November 20, 1987)

CHRISTOPHER A. FALCIANO NAMED DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

After two months as Acting Director of Communications, Chris A. Falciano
has been officially promoted to Director, Chief of Citywide Services, William
Dalton announced today. He replaces former Communication Director Stephen
Ciaccio who is now working as Director of Communications for the city of
Smyrna, Georgia.

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

"If your job is to leaven ordinary lives with elevating spectacle, be elevating
or be gone."

Park Information

Directions to Battery Park

Starting Address

I am traveling by:

Know Before You Go

There are currently 2 service interruptions affecting access within this park.

Battery Park

The SeaGlass Carousel is currently under construction. SeaGlass is an aquatic-themed ride aimed at providing an exciting amenity for the millions of tourists and New Yorkers who visit the Battery annually.Anticipated Completion: Spring 2015

Battery Park

Portions of the Battery are closed for various improvements, including a connection between the Greenways along the Hudson River and the East River. The 12-acre site will feature a meandering bikeway and walkway through lushly planted perennial gardens; a reconstructed Battery Green, the large oval lawn that serves as a public assembly and performance area; restoration and relocation of 10 monuments to the perimeter for better placement and increased visibility; a protected and replanted woodland area; new paths, trees and seating surrounding the park, and upgraded paving, edging, furnishings and lighting.Anticipated Completion: Spring 2015